Muslims Told To Join In Dialogue

More than 300 Muslim Americans gathered Sunday for a wide--ranging conference sponsored by the American Muslim Alliance of Connecticut, a grass-roots group of civic and business leaders.

The message of the conference, held at the Holiday Inn in East Hartford, was that American Muslims must speak out and join the public dialogue as the United States wrestles with fear of terrorism, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the challenge to civil liberties in a post 9/11 world.

FOR THE RECORD - Correction published June 25, 2002.Israel's Law of Return states that ``every Jew has the right to come to Israel as an oleh,'' an immigrating Jew, subject to certain regulations. That information was unclear in a story on Page B1 Monday.

The cultural and ethnic diversity of Muslims, and the fact that many are recent immigrants, has hampered their ability to organize and to enter the public dialogue, said Azam Saeed, an executive member of the alliance.

``We are not a monolithic community, which is a challenge we face, but it is the civic responsibility to participate,'' he said.

``There are 50,000 Muslims in the state of Connecticut, and 25,000 in Greater Hartford,'' said Ali Antar, president of the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford. ``Its time for us to mobilize our voices and our votes.''

The afternoon conference examined the possible infringement of civil liberties by recent changes in federal law, the potential disaster of nuclear conflict in Kashmir and media bias.

Speakers included U.S. Reps. Nancy L. Johnson, R-6th District, and Rob Simmons, R-2nd District; Attorney General Richard Blumenthal; Mazin Qumsiyeh, a supporter of Palestine Right to Return; and Colleen Keyes, a peace activist. Moderate voices of the Muslim community are important when extremists dominate the headlines, Johnson said.

Not just because it will help provide balance about how to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Johnson said. ``There is going to have to be a lot of dialogue among Arab nations and other countries of the world if peace is to evolve. It's very clear terrorist activity is well--organized and sustainable, and not under the control of any civilian leader in Palestine.''

Johnson added that she does not support all the aggressive actions taken by Israel, but said security for both sides is essential for peace. ``The discussion must start from the fact that terrorism is not just wrong, but intolerable for any civil society.''

Attorney Jerome Paun, a member of the National Lawyers Guild, warned that under the recent Patriots Act, civil rights-era demonstrations, such as lunch counter sit-ins, would now qualify as domestic terrorism. ``This kind of legislation does not protect us, and undermines our rights,'' he said.

Blumenthal said that while governmental excesses have occurred in the past, the war against terrorism should bring out the best, not the worst, of our system. He urged the Muslim community to come forward and speak if civil rights abuses take place.

``There is still a lot of work to be done, whether it's in the courts or the Congress,'' Blumenthal said. ``But the most important thing I can do as an official is listen, and to act on what you tell me.''

Qumsiyeh,a professor at Yale University and a Palestinian Christian of the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition, called for a public information campaign against Israel. Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together in Palestine for many years without conflict until the partitioning that created Israel, he said.

``Israel is the only country in the world that reserves its lands, not for the citizens of that land, but for outside people. Anyone who is a Jew anywhere in the world is a national of the state of Israel. No other country in the world has that system. No country in the world reserves its lands for people of one religion, except Israel,'' said Qumsiyeh, who has called for a boycott of Israeli goods.

Keyes, a dean of academic affairs at Tunxis Community College, discussed her recent trip to occupied territories as a member of Interfaith Peace Builders, a group that engages in non-violent demonstrations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Keyes, a convert to Islam, criticized the American media's coverage of peace movements among Jews, Christians and Muslims opposed to Israeli military policies.

``Our purpose was to listen and to witness, and then return to the United States to encourage other citizens to become advocates for an immediate end to violence and a justice-based settlement ... ``We rarely if ever hear that hundreds of Israelis support an end to the occupation; we rarely if ever hear of the work of many Israeli and Palestinian civil and human rights groups who work together with each other.''